


The Woman

by Gypsymoon77



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Knitting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-04
Updated: 2015-04-04
Packaged: 2018-03-21 03:54:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3676419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gypsymoon77/pseuds/Gypsymoon77
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liara gets a glimpse of Shepherd not as the fearless Commander, but as simply a woman.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Woman

“Li? Are turians allergic to wool?”

 

Liara turned to the Commander, a baffled expression on the asari's face. Shepherd was standing in front of an earth-based vendor, two masses of squishy – something – in her hands. She held out the objects for Liara's inspection. The creamy color of the substance nicely set off the coffee-colored tone of Shepherd’s skin. Liara reached out and sank her fingers into the material.

 

“Oh!” She made a pleasurable little noise, kneading the – well, she assumed it was the wool that Sheperd had referred to.

 

“Nice, isn't it?” commented Shepherd. “Comes from sheep. So, think Garrus would be allergic?”

 

“It's to be eaten?” she asked, embarrassed that she may have just been fondling human foodstuffs.

 

Shepherd laughed. “No. It's worn.” More laughter followed the confused look on Liara's face as she imagined festooning the crew's sniper with the wool. “You knit it,” explained the Commander, turning and snatching up two sticks that were on display and holding them out as if this should clarify everything.

 

“So you primitive humans really do sit around and play with sticks?” quipped Liara, echoing the sentiments of some of the asari matriarchs. She laughed as Shepherd pursed her lips in displeasure.

 

“Knitting is an _artform_ ,” she insisted, but there was a playful glint in her eyes that assured Liara that she knew the asari was only teasing.

 

“Mmmm, yes, human art,” Liara said, her tone playfully patronizing. “So Garrus is to be an art exhibit?”

 

The Commander let out an unladylike snort. “No, it's more than just that.” She ducked her head slightly, studying the yarn in her hands as her cheeks heated up. “It's something you do to show someone how much you...appreciate them...and...you know. Stuff.”

 

Liara stared blankly at her friend. Shepherd sighed.

 

“You use the yarn and the needles to make something for them. You know, a handmade gift.” She looked up and laughed outright at the odd expression on Liara's face. “Yes. Hello, I'm Commander Shepherd and when I'm not fighting Reapers, I like to knit handmade gifts for my bo- my friend.”

 

Liara stared at the human for a moment and then grinned. This was Shepherd, not as the fearless Commander of the Normandy, but as her  _friend_ . This was the woman who was uncertain if giving a handmade gift to the turian she liked would be acceptable and also not cause said turian to go into anaphylatic shock. The woman who couldn't even bring herself to call him her boyfriend because she was so scared he might not feel the same way. She was a little shy and a little nerdy, and she was completely okay with Liara seeing her this way. Liara wanted to throw her arms around her and promise her she loved her just like this; that she didn't always have to be the cool, confident Commander Shepherd. That she could just be Shepherd, and that was enough. Enough for her, for Garrus and for all the others.

 

Instead, she snatched up another pair of the needles and some more of the squishy yarn, not even caring to notice that it was garish shade of yellow. She thrust it out towards Shepherd. “Teach me?” she asked.

 

Shepherd laughed and nodded. “My grandmother would be so proud of me,” she commented, as she moved towards the kiosk, Liara trailing behind her. “Passing on such an honored human tradition and all. Well, she may have been a little shocked at who I was teaching.” Shepherd turned and gave Liara a playful wink.

 

Liara smiled and nodded and listened to Shepherd ramble on as they paid for their purchases and headed back to the docking bay. Back in the cabin, between false starts, and creative curses, and pattern suggestions from EDI, the two friends bent over their yarn and needles, their shoulders touching, their fingers moving through knits and purls. And months later, when it was all said and done, and Liara stood by Garrus in that same cabin as he clutched the awkward cowl Shepherd had knit for him, she thought back to that day and remembered: Shepherd the woman had been more beautiful than Shepherd the Commander ever was.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Wasn't too serious when I wrote this, but decided to post this for the sake of posting.


End file.
